Exports to US underpin Irish web content management firm's success

THE CHIEF executive of Irish software company TerminalFour has said exports have become a vital part of his business’s development, with 38 per cent of its turnover now generated in the US alone.

Piero Tintori, also the founder of the web content management company, said the company had no presence in the US just two years ago but had done hard work to establish a niche, which was now paying off.

“We put a lot of investment, time and effort into our production and that’s what worked for us in the US,” he said.

TerminalFour’s product is designed to simplify the management of medium to large businesses’ websites. It is deployed by companies including Aer Lingus and Specsavers.

The company already had strong sales in the UK but expanded into the US after securing a contract with UNAids.

In the past year, TerminalFour has picked up business in South Africa, Switzerland and Bahrain.

Tintori said the success abroad was a result of the company targeting the third-level education sector specifically, rather than trying to sell to everyone.

“What we’ve tried to do is deliver web content management software and do that really well, being really focused on particular industries,” he said.

“We’ve tried to do one thing very well and, hopefully, be the best in the world in that area.”

He added that a decision to continue to invest in the product during the recession also helped, as it put them in a stronger position once optimism began to return to the US economy.

According to Tintori, securing the US contracts involved him travelling to and from the country, while a small team in Boston also provided support.

He clocked up hundreds of thousands of air miles in the last year, but maintains that this high workload was required for any company serious about selling.

“It takes a while for the markets to ramp up. There’s no point in giving up after three months because you’re not making the sales you want,” he said.

The focus in 2011 will remain on the US market and on enhancing its partner network, he said, which has been instrumental in overseas expansions.

At the start of the year, NCB and AIB Seed Capital announced a €1.6 million investment in TerminalFour.

Tintori said this, and the profitable nature of the business, should leave the company well-resourced for the future.